Meaning & Origins

Transferred use of the surname, in origin denoting a migrant from the province of Lorraine in eastern France. This derives its name from Latin Lotharingia ‘territory of the people of Lothar’. The latter is a Germanic personal name derived from hlud ‘fame’ + heri, hari ‘army’. Lorraine began to be used as a girl's name in Scotland in the 19th century, and for a time in the second half of the 20th century enjoyed great popularity, which has since waned.